When Nick Cave Met Black Sabbath

The fascinating debut LP from iniquitous “occult blues collective”, Dreadlords is released on Not Just Religious Music on December 8th, it is called Death Angel.

Containing members of Panther Modern and T.O.M.B., and hailing from the Philadelphia and Upper Bucks County areas of Pennsylvania, the band delivers a unique brew of organic traditional blues and crushingly dark Americana, which is intermittently infused with the slight presence of psychedelic black metal and noise experimentation.

On Death Angel, the somewhat elusive band releases thirty-eight minutes of bizarre and unique blues-based odes. Imagine Nick Cave meeting a stripped down Black Sabbath somewhere off Route 476 in a dark wood and you are getting close to the sound. Not your usual metal album this, mixing, as it does, some folk elements and heavy blues.

The album was recorded during the Winter of January 2013 at Satan’s Palace Recording Studios, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, the album features Panther Modern on banjo, Samantha Viola on drums, bells and ritual implements, and J. Gannon on vocals, with guest vocals on the title track by Susan Bones.

Not Just Religious Music was formed by TJ Cowgill of King Dude and home to King Dude, Chelsea Wolfe, Bain Wolfkind and others. The album is out next Monday, December 8th, seeing a digital release as well as 12” vinyl, the LP limited to 500 copies, with 200 on black and 300 on random colors, each including a download code.

The subject matter will not find favour with those of a religious orientation but the overall sound and feel of the album is remarkable and an interesting diversion from the mainstream. Highly recommmended!